Holdback attachment for vehicles



(No Model.)

P. O. FRASHER.

HHOLDBAGK ATTACHMENT FOR VEHICLES. No. 499,980. Patented June 20, 1893.

Tn: Noam: virus :11, Putnam-4n. WASNINGYON. I:v c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANKLIN O. FRASHER, OF PETERSBURG, DELAWARE.

HOLDBACK ATTACHMENT FOR VEHICLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 499,980, dated June 20,1893. Application filed March 21,1893. Serial No. 46?;046. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANKLIN O. FRASHER,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Petersburg, in the county ofKent and State of Delaware, have invented new and useful Improvements inHoldback Attachments for :cljhills, of which the following is aspecifica- This invention relates to that type of holdback attachmentsfor thills wherein a metallic frame or bracket attached to the thill isprovided with a longitudinal slot which at one extremity is enlargedlaterally to permit the escape of the head of a loop or eye to which thebreeching-strap is attached, if the animal passes from between thethills. In prior constructions of this character the slot is closed ateach end and consequently it is impossible to arrange the frame orbracket at the under side of the thill, as if arranged in this manner itis impossible for the loop or eye to automatically free itself from theframe or bracket. For this reason the prior constructions are onlyapplicable to the inner sides of the thills, which is objectionable forseveral reasons, chiefly because laterally projecting parts are presentat the inner sides of the thills which are liable to injure the animal,and further because of the uncertainty of the loop or eye becomingautomatically disengaged when the animal passes from between the thills.

The objects of my invention are to avoid the obj ections stated; toprovide a novel construction whereby the metallic frame or bracket canbe applied to the under side of the thill, with absolute certainty ofthe loop or eye becoming disengaged therefrom the instant the animalpasses from between the thills; to provide novel means for preventingaccidental disengagement of the loop or eye from the frame or bracket,and to provide an improved construction wherein the eye or loop isadapted to .lie close to the under side of the thill and thus reduce thedanger of breaking the parts if excessive strain is brought to bearthereupon in holding back a vehicle.

To accomplish all these objects my invention involves the features ofconstruction and the combination or arrangement of parts hereinafterdescribed and claimed, reference being made to the accompanyingdrawings, in which- Figure 1, is a perspective view of my improvedhold-back attachment, a broken portion of the thill being exhibited.Fig.2, is a bottom plan view of the same, showing the eye or loop in itsnorlnalposition. Fig. 3, isa

bottom plan view, omitting the lower plate of the metallic frame orbracket. Fig. at, is a similar view showing the position of the loop oreye in the act of passing from the frame or bracket, and Fig. 5, is adetail longitudinal sectional view of the hold-back attachment.

In order to enable those skilled in the'art to make and use my inventionI will now describe the same in detail, referring to the drawingswherein- The numeral 1 indicates a portion of a thill to the under sideof which my improved holdback attachment is applied, as will beunderstood by reference to Fig. l. The frame or bracket of thehold-backattachmentcomprises a base-plate 2, having longitudinal side flanges 3,which embrace and lie closely against the sides of the thill, and acap-plate 4 secured to the underside of the base-plate,preferably by thescrews 5, which serve to secure the baseplate to the under side of thethill. The baseplate is formed with a recess 2, having underout edges 6,Figs. 1 and 5, and the cap-plate contains a diagonal opening 7, Fig. 2,which recess and opening constitute a slot closed at the rear and openat the front for the free escape of the loop or eye 8, to which thebreeching strap is connected. The loop or eye lies approximatelyhorizontal in a plane parallel with the under side of the thill, and itis provided with a head, formed, as here shown, of a disk 9, connectedwith the loop or eye proper by a short shank 10, whereby the loop or eyelies close to the under side of the thill, thus reducing the downwardpull on the loop or eye in holding back, and materially increasing thestrength, durability, efficiency and usefulness of the device inpractical operation.

The edge 12 of the disk 9 is beveled, to accommodate it to the under-cutedges 6, of the recess in thebase-plate, so that when the loop or eye isin position for holdingback a vehicle, the downward strain on the loopor eye is counteracted by the co-acting edges 6 and 12, and likewisestrain or pressure is removed from the cap-plate 4. In the constructiondescribed and shown the entire strain in bolding back is thrown upon thebase-plate at the closed end of the slot, which slot, as before stated,is composed of the recess in the baseplate and the opening 7 in thecap-plate.

The normal positionof the loop or eye in holding back a vehicle, isrepresented in Figs. 1 and 2. In practice, the breechingstrap isconnected with the loop or eye, preferably by a snap hook, and so longas the animal remains properly between the thills, the loop or eye willstand approximately in such position as to be pulled rearward againstthe closed end of the slot. If, however, the animal should pass frombetween the thills, the loop or eye will turn and the header disk 9 willrotate and then theforward pull of the breeching strap will move theloop or eye forward, as indicated by the arrow Fig. 4, thereby pullingthe loop or eye out of the open end of the slot in a plane parallel withthe under side of the thill. This is a very important feature of myinvention and distinguishes it from prior constructions, in that I amenabled to apply the slotted frame or bracket to the under side of thethill, thus materially reducing the laterally projecting parts, andplacing the loop or eye in such position that it can lie approximatelyhorizontal in aplane parallel with theunder side of the thill. Theconstruction also renders it possible to bring the loop or eye closer tothe under side of the thill, which is a very desirable feature.

To prevent accidental disengagement of the loop or eye from the frame orbracket, I

provide the latter with a spring-pressed dog 13, pivoted as at 14,between the base-plate and the cap-plate, and acted upon by alfiatspring 15, which is secured in place by a rivet or pin 16, passingthrough the cap-plate and base-plate. The spring-pressed dog, when theparts are in normal position, lies in front ofa cut-away part of thehead or disk 9, and prevents the latter being accidentally movedout-through the slot of the frame or bracket. If the loop or eye beturned to project forward,

for example as in Fig. 4, the spring-pressed: dog will bear against thebeveled periphery of the head or disk and the friction between the partswill be sufficient to prevent accidental disengagement of the loop oneye from the frame or bracket. As here shown, the dog 13 and spring 15lie in a slottedpart of the capplate, and the dog and spring areprotected by the cap-plate and base-plate, as will be understood byreference to Figs-1 and 3.

The head or disk 9 is substantially flat and has a flat bearing againstthe base -plate,

'frame'adapted to"be' secured to the underside of a thill and composedof a base-plate and a cap-plate having respectively a recess and anopening to form a slot which opens at the front end of said parts, and aloop hav- 8o ingaflat head or disk rotatable between the base-plate andcap-plate and adapted to pull out of the open endof the slot ina planeparallel with the underside of the thill, sub- .stantially as described.2. A hold-back attachment, consisting of a Zframe, adapted to be securedto the under 'side of athill andihaving a slot which opens lat the frontend of the frame, a loop having a head rotatable in the frame andadapted tolgo pull out of the open endof the slot inaplane parallel with.the under side of the thill, and

la spring-pressed dog actingagainstthe rotat- Eable head of the loop toprevent accidental disengagement ofthe latter from the frame, 5isubstantially'as described.

E 3. A liold-back attachment, consisting of a frame adapted l to besecured to the under side ot a thill and composed of a base-plate and acap-plate having respectively a recess and an opening to form a slotwhich opens atthe front end of saidparts, a loop or eye having a head ordisk rotatable between the baseplate andcap-plate andfadapted to pullout of the open end of the slot in a plane parallel to 5 with the underside ofthe thill, anda springpressed dog pivotedbetween: the base-plateand cap-plate for acting against the periphcry of the head or disk topreventits accidental movement out of the slot, substantially 1 to asdescribed;

4. A hold-back attachment, consisting. of: aframe adapted to be securedto the under side of a thill and havinga slot which opens at the frontendof the frame, aloop or eye lying approximately horizontal in aplanepar-h allel with theunder side of the thill and'having a flat head ordisk which bears flatly: against the frame and is adapted to rotate Aand move out ofthe open end. of the slot in.

a plane parallel with the under side of the thill, a dog pivoted'totheframe and arranged! to bear against the periphery of the rotatable head"ordisk to prevent accidental movement of the latter out ofthe open endof the slot, :2 5

and a springacting againstthedog to press it inwardly against said heador disk, substantially as describedl 5. A hold-back attachment,consisting of at frame or bracket having undercut edges 6, 0 andaslotopen at its frontend;a'loop or eye having a head or disk 9 provided witha beveled edge 12, adapted to rotate in the frame my hand in presence oftwo subscribing witor bracket, a dog pivoted to the frame or bracket andarranged to bear against the beveled edge of the head or disk, and aspring acting upon the dog to press it inwardly, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set FRANKLIN O. FRASHER.

Witnesses:

H. L. THORNTON, EDWARD A, PAUL, Sr.

